Surveillance Video Captures Man Vandalizing Long Beach Temple

LONG BEACH (CBSLA.com) — Police are searching for a man who vandalized a newly renovated Long Beach temple a few weeks ago.

The suspect, who was captured on surveillance video, threw a brick at the front window of Temple Israel at 269 Loma Avenue before midnight on Jan. 7.

Officials described the culprit as Caucasian or Hispanic, around 20 to 30 years old and 5-feet-9 to 6-feet tall.

He was wearing light-colored cargo or basketball-type shorts, a light-colored jacket with a dark collar, a white t-shirt, and dark-colored sandals.

The same temple was vandalized in November when someone wrote anti-Semitic graffiti on the building.

“They had written the word ‘Nazi’ and drew two swastikas,” said Sharon Amster Brown of Temple Israel.

Rabbi Steven Moskowitz said, “It’s merely a disappointment that there are sad individuals like that who have to express their own views by trying to do harm to others. I would like them to make amends. If they did that, I’d be willing to talk with them about themselves and why they’re so upset and so angry.”

Police are investigating whether the acts of vandalism are connected.

Anyone with information about the crimes is asked to contact Jackie Bezart of the Long Beach Police Department at (562) 570-7250.